Speech Update

Giana has been receiving speech services for two months (just 7 sessions).  She has made amazing progress--she's gained tons of words (well over 50+), she's combining words and using multiple syllables!  I'm thrilled.  And I'm not the only one who's impressed.  At our speech visit this week, Kim (speech pathologist) said G will be exited from the program before her next review (due in August).  She is producing speech sounds that can take up to age four to master!  We are continuing to work on things like pronunciation and using 2 syllables.  She is attempting more, but it's not always very clear.  I am SO grateful for the help we've received.  Kim is fantastic and has been so supportive.  We'll miss her when the visits end, but it's so awesome that Giana is catching up! 

LONG overdue

Yikes! Yes, it's really been over a year since my last post! I guess the wee ones have been keeping me busy! I wanted to update our family and friends on Giana (speech delay).

After Giana's 18 month check up I contacted our school district to inquire about services for her speech delay (recommendation of our pediatrician). Over a month and a half we had observations, evaluations and, this week, a meeting to discuss results. Giana had average scores in all areas of development except communication. Receptive language was at 91% and expressive was at 5%. This is a considerable gap (making a potentially frustrated girl because she understands so much, but can vocalize so little). Her expressive language score qualifies her for services with the school district. So starting in March, Kim, the Speech Language Pathologist, will make weekly visits to our house to work with us and support us as we aim to get Giana speaking at a level closer to her peers. Kim has already given us several things to start working on. Our hope is that G is just a 'late talker' (entirely possible since her brother talks a mile a minute and leaves no time for her to talk). Hopefully once she gets a little boost, her language will take off. Time will tell. We'll review her progress in 6 months. I am so grateful for the support we'll be getting and I must say I'm very pleased with Lakeville School District ECSE (Early Childhood Special Education).

Growing like a weed!

Giana is following in her big brother's footsteps. She was 95% for height at her 4 month check up (only 24% for weight)! . She is doing great! She's a happy little peanut! She's starting to laugh and is occasionally rolling over. I talked with the doctor about some asymmetry of her leg creases/rolls. Dr. V really checked out her hips rotating them all around. He said he didn't feel any clicks and that she has good tone, but wanted her to get an ultrasound and x-ray to be safe. She had a hip ultrasound this morning at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis and the x-ray was done at her clinic on Monday. I am anxious to get the results.

Have I mentioned that I love our pediatrician, Dr. Vlodaver at Fairview Oxboro in Bloomington? He is very proactive. Some might think he is overly cautious, but being a medical professional, I appreciate his desire to rule out more serious issues. He is also the Doc for my sister, Haley's kids!

Ahhhh....Vincent! I really should be writing down all of the funny things that come out of his mouth! He is a riot, although not beyond a tantrum every now and then. He is really starting to pay attention to Giana! I love it-they are so cute together!

Halloween was fun. The kids were Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! We did a few different Halloween activities in the area and Steve took Vince out trick or treating on Halloween. I don't think Vince has quite figured out Halloween, but he sure liked the candy (and so did Mom and Dad)!

Blessed!

That one word describes my life! I feel truly blessed each day!

The kids are amazing little wonders! Vincent surprises me daily with all that he is learning! I am amazed at how much his language has exploded in the last few months. He LOVES books. I bring him to Movin' and Groovin' class once a week and various other activities when we can (ECFE playtime, Open Gym, playdates, storytime). It is such a joy to watch him grow and learn!

Giana is a little doll. She is so happy and smiley! She loves cooing, squealing and attempting to laugh! She is holding her head up during tummy time, working really hard on rolling and grabbing everything she can get her little hands on. She is a huge fan of fingers these days-they must be yummy!

Steve is working his tail off! He's back to 50 hour work weeks and full time school on top of that! I am keeping my fingers crossed that he finishes his IT degree quickly and that we will have our daddy/husband back.

I am doing my best to take care of the family, house and occasionally myself! I am participating in a MOMS (Ministry of Mothers Sharing) group at church. I have met some wonderful women and have realized my desire for deeper friendships with my fellow moms. I am so appreciative of the wonderful friends in my life.

As I look at look at my family and the beauty outside (fall is my favorite time of year), I can't help but be grateful for all that I have! I am truly blessed!

Funny Man

Our little man is becoming quite verbal and is learning new things like crazy! I am often surprised by what he does or says.

Quotes by Vince:

• "What the heck!" is one of his favorites
• "Beep, beep" when he wants someone to move
• "Like it" if he likes something or "No like it" when he doesn't like something and most recently "Oh my, like it!"
  
• "My rock" when he wants to be rocked at night
• "Arm, please" when he wants to snuggle with me and lay on my arm
• "D*mnit" I have no idea where he picked that one up! Oops....

It's really funnier to hear these quotes rather than read them. While he's definitely at a challenging age, he is also at a very fun age. He makes me laugh everyday!

Giana is really growing! She is starting to smile and coo. Oh my gosh-her beautiful baby smile brightens my day!

Adjusting

After 6 weeks with our new family member I think we are all adjusting well. It certainly is a huge transition.

Vincent doesn't understand yet that he needs to be careful and gentle with Giana, so we need to keep a close eye on him around her! He has become quite possessive since Giana's birth. I must hear "My (nuk, milk, Mommy, Daddy, etc.)" 50 times a day! He was even upset about sharing his diaper rash ointment and cried out "butt cream" once while I was changing Giana! But really, he has done fairly well with Giana and is frequently giving his baby sister kisses!

Curious George cartoons are a life saver these days (and the only way I can get a shower in). I am finally getting to the point where I can get out of the house with both kids. Hopefully by fall we'll be up for even more outings and activities.

She's Here!

Giana Rose Shalikow was born at 12:22 pm on June 16th! She weighed 7lbs, 5oz and was 20in long.

Steve was a wreck waiting to go into the OR. And I have to admit that I was a little scared during the wait and as it became a reality during the prep in the OR. Giana was delivered quickly which helped me relax. Just like her big bro, she was really quiet after delivery, making both parents nervous. I think we just have observant children who were busy checking out their new surroundings immediately after birth. Everything went well, except some excess blood loss (related to the placenta previa), which has resulted in a very low hemoglobin for me. So, I just need to take it easy and allow my body to heal (which is really easy with two kids-Ha!).

We are happy to be home and are so grateful for our beautiful and healthy children!

12 Days to go

Our baby girl is scheduled to arrive on June 16th (via c-section)! That only leaves 12 days. I am hoping for a smooth delivery, smooth recovering and most of all a healthy baby! Can't wait!!! Check out what a mover this little girl is! She'll be here soon.

C-section?

I had an ultrasound today to follow up on my placenta previa (where the placenta is covering the cervix, the baby's way out). Unfortunately, the cervix is still completely covered. The basic message I got today (from the ultrasound tech and the doctor) was that it's still possible for the placenta to move, but unlikely. So, talk of a c-section begins. Of course, I will continue to have follow up ultrasounds and hope that the placenta will move. In the meantime, I am mentally preparing for a c-section (which my sister, Haley, warns me the recovery from is awful--especially when you already have a little monster, I mean, munchkin at home!). I guess I am still optimistic and not yet convinced I will need a c-section (maybe it's denial). I do have concerns about potential bleeding, bedrest, or an unexpected early delivery. Really, it's just a situation where we will have to wait and see (and hope and pray).

The good news is that our little girl, who we call "Gigi", is growing perfectly. She measures exactly as she should and all of her organs look good. So, we are thankful for that!

Little sponge!

Wow! I feel like Vince is learning so much everyday. He has started chattering like crazy. I am amazed at how quickly he is picking things up now--he copies words we say and things we do. It's really pretty entertaining. He surprises us a lot lately, like by adding the words to songs when we are singing. Think it might be time to start filtering what we say!

Jock in the making

Steve is creating a little jock. He wants to be sure Vincent has exposure to a variety of sports. We have a basketball hoop, a t-ball set, footballs, golf and bowling equipment. Steve was getting concerned that Vince didn't have any hockey equipment yet. So he was very excited to find a kids hockey set this weekend. I'm not sure the hockey set is a big hit with Vince just yet.

He does seem to be a basketball fanatic, though. I recently caught him trying to shoot hoops with a wet diaper (at least he was aiming for the garbage can). When we are out for a walk he points out all of the basketball hoops he sees, saying "baa" (he hasn't quite got the "L" sound yet). And he will often stand at the gate at the top of our stairs whining, "baa" because he wants to go to the basement and play basketball. We'll see if his love of basketball lasts!

Here are a few videos displaying his athletic abilities.

Baby Shalikow Update

We had our 20 week ultrasound this week and found out that Baby #2 is a GIRL! I am so excited! I think Steve is still in shock and maybe slightly nervous at the thought of raising a daughter. Everything looked good with our little flutterbug (measurements and organs). They did discover that I have placenta previa, which means the placenta is covering the cervix. At this point, it isn't a big concern as the placenta usually moves out of the way as the uterus grows. I will have a follow up ultrasound in about 6 weeks to see if it has resolved. On the plus side, I get an extra peak at the little one!!

Pregnancy

Well, I have hit 18 weeks. I can't remember exactly, but I think the morning sickness finally went away between 18-20 weeks with Vincent. I think I was expecting to feel instantly nausea-free at 18 weeks. Not quite yet (although there has been some improvement)--I am still popping tums and zofran in order to eat and keep food down. The good news is I can eat again (see expanding belly below)! All of my cravings seem to be for junk food. Hey, I'm just giving the babe what it wants!

Anyway, I've started to notice some tiny movements from our little flutterbug. It brings back memories of feet, knees, elbows, etc., digging into my ribs and bladder! Despite those love nudges, I am actually looking forward to the second half of the pregnancy and more importantly, the end of the first half! 20 weeks will be here soon. We are so excited for the ultrasound and to find out the sex of the baby! Steve thinks it's another boy--I really have trouble guessing at all. Stay tuned for the results (and don't forget to enter YOUR guess in our baby poll--http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyShalikow2 )!


11 weeks

17 weeks

Little Man of few Words

Vincent hasn't picked up many words yet, but he has started to do several signs. One of his favorites is 'milk'. He also does 'more' and 'please'. It is so cute to see his version of the signs and so nice that he is able to tell us what he wants!

First sledding experience

Vince thought sledding was ok his first time down. He quickly lost interest after being sprayed with snow (thanks Daddy). But he enjoyed snuggling up with mom and watching everyone else sled! Maybe we'll try a smaller hill next time!

Baby Poll

Enter your guess for our baby poll! We plan to find out the gender with this baby. Our ultrasound is scheduled for February 1st.

http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyShalikow2

Behind on the posts!

Between constant morning sickness and other illnesses circulating thru our house, I haven't been very good at updating lately! Vince and Steve have both been sick a couple of times. I've been lucky and only had a mild cold. We think Vince had H1N1 in early November. The poor guy was miserable. I've just discovered that he has at least 4 teeth working thru! Yikes! Other than being a little more cuddly than usual (and slightly crabby), he's handling it fairly well. He is slowing down on the growth chart and only in the 24% for weight. I think it's because he has been a little picky lately and probably has to do with teething and not feeling well. I am hoping to get out and do some fun family things over the holidays and hopefully I'll be better at updating!

Little peanut

Here is a peak at our little peanut. The ultrasound was done at 10 weeks and 1 day. This baby is an active one (just like Vince was)! Peanut's measurements are perfect for the gestational age and the heartbeat was right on target, too, at 175. I am so grateful for a healthy baby (now if this nausea would just go away!!!).

Big Bro

That's right, Vince is going to be a big brother! We are expecting #2 in June. Life is pretty low key right now as I try to deal with constant nausea, fatigue and a very energetic toddler. Poor Vince has been homebound with me and Steve has taken over several of the household duties (most involving food and the kitchen). I pray I am not sick as long as I was with Vincent (nearly 3 months!).

F-A-T-I-G-U-E! What's that spell? FATIGUE

We have one busy boy these days! His newest accomplishment is climbing...on EVERYTHING! I have found him on the couch, on the toy box, on his rocking chair, on the kitchen chair and even on the kitchen table--I must pull him off of furniture 100 times a day! Seriously! Of course, these are accidents waiting to happen, so we've had plenty of falls and plenty of bruises. Despite falls, he gets right up and does it again! He is so proud of his furniture scaling abilities. I, on the other hand, am exhausted from running around after him trying to prevent more injuries! He certainly has a mind of his own these days! He hates getting dressed, won't let me brush his teeth, fights going to sleep, etc. Despite all of these challenges, I love that little man more than ANYTHING! But, Mama needs a BREAK! So, work actually provides a little respite for me.

Speaking of work, I started a new job a last month. I am a Private Duty Nurse providing in home care for a young girl with Cystic Fibrosis. I've decided I am well suited for home care rather than hospital nursing. I think I have found a great fit and I really enjoy it. The family is incredibly flexible and very nice. And my client is a lot of fun!

Check out our photo albums (links to the right or at the bottom of the page) to see what we've been up to.